


Funeral Goers

by HansonPhreek



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2013-01-04
Packaged: 2018-08-07 22:42:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7732657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansonPhreek/pseuds/HansonPhreek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war, Harry and Draco both attend all the same funerals. And when Harry needs to find a place to stay, Draco offers the Manor. Was that really a good idea?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** Adult Language, Sexual Situations, Contains Slash Sex  
>  **Disclaimer:** I own nothing but this story. I make no money from it.

Draco had spent the last two weeks attending funerals nearly every single day. After the final battle at Hogwarts, and while everyone was celebrating and mourning, the blonde had vowed to himself to pay respect to all those who had given their lives in what he now fully understood to be idiocy.

Two days after the war was officially over, Draco was at Colin Creevy’s funeral when his father was taken away by two Aurors. Upon his return home, Draco was shocked to realize that he was not to be taken to Azkaban as well. His mother wished wished he would stop fretting about it but Draco was sure there was more to this than met the eye.

All in all this had been a very hard two weeks.

~~~~

Harry had been having a very hard two weeks. He’d spent practically every day attending the funerals of those who gave their lives to help him win the war. He made sure to spend time with the family and friends of each of the deceased, offering condolences and thanks.

Whenever he wasn’t with the mourning he was at the Ministry of Magic, helping sort through information and track down the remaining Death Eaters. Many people had wanted him to take over as Minister, but Harry had refused. Instead he had suggested Kingsley Shacklebot, who accepted. But Harry still felt the need to be as involved as possible.

But the thing that was bothering him the most was that a certain blonde was attending all the funerals as well. And Harry couldn’t figure out why.

~~~~

Draco got up on Friday morning in the same dreary mood as usual. It seemed that a sort of fog had settled over much of the Wizarding World. The celebratory spirit of that first night had quickly been replaced with sorrow as friends and love ones were either buried or taken to Azkaban.

Draco dressed in silence, thinking about the boy whose funeral he would be attending that day. “Boy” was the best choice of words to describe him, for the deceased was only barely 17. Draco chuckled to himself. He was only a year older, yet he felt like he’d been an adult for many years.

He shrugged on his jet black dress robes and looked at his reflection in his floor length mirror. He was still just as handsome as he had always been, but now that didn’t matter to Draco. All he could see were all the horrible things he had done during the war.

He knew that attending these funerals wouldn’t erase what he’d done, but it was the best he could offer for now. Sometimes Draco wished the Aurors would just show up and cart him off to Azkaban where he belonged.

~~~~

Harry dressed for today’s funeral in a sort of fog. He yawned; he hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep in the past two weeks. He kept busy and when he would finally pass out from exhaustion he was plagued with nightmares.

He had hoped that after he defeated Voldemort the bad dreams would stop. But they simply changed. Now he only dreamed about one thing: walking into the Great Hall at Hogwarts and seeing a long line of dead bodies. What made the dreams worse was that there weren’t simply an invention of his subconscious but an actual memory.

Needless to say, Harry wasn’t sleeping a whole lot and his friends had started to notice. Ron suggested that he try a sleeping potion, but that hadn’t worked. He slept, but he still had the nightmare. Hermione tried to convince him to take some time off from helping the Aurors, but Harry knew that wouldn’t help. In fact, he was pretty sure that would just make things worse.

Harry glanced at his reflection in the mirror by the door as he left the room. He looked sad and tired, exactly how he felt. He’d thought that with the end of the war would come happiness and peace, but that hadn’t happened. Yet.

~~~~

Draco approached the grave site slowly. There were only a handful of people in attendance and Draco recalled why. Most of the boy’s family had been killed by Death Eaters in the weeks before the final battle. As he looked at the faces surrounding the grave Draco was reminded that the only remaining member of the family was a 12 year old girl.

The blonde stood silently next to an elderly wizard in faded robes. He looked across the place where the coffin stood and right into startlingly bright green eyes.

~~~~

Harry watched as a familiar blonde head walked slowly toward the small assembly. Harry stood next to a little girl who had lost everyone in less than a month. When he’d heard her story a few days before he had worried immensely about her future. The ministry, he found out, had been able to track down a distant cousin who lived in France. She would be moving to a new country and given the chance to start over.

When Draco’s eyes locked with his Harry wondered once again why the other man bothered to come to these funerals. Most of the Wizarding World still saw him as one of the enemy, even after Harry had given testimony to the contrary.

A big part of the reason for this, Harry knew, was that his testimony hadn’t been released. All that the public knew was that Draco had been deemed not responsible for his actions during the time Voldemort had taken over Malfoy Manor. In fact, Draco himself wasn’t even told the reason for his immunity.

~~~~

Draco looked into Harry’s eyes for a long time, frozen. He felt like those eyes would see into his soul, and not for the first time he was worried about what they would see. Would the brunette see the terrible things Draco had done or would they see the monster that he sees himself?

Finally someone one spoke. This funeral was very informal, it seemed that one of the boy’s parent’s friends was going to oversee things. The sudden voice after the silence startled Draco slightly and he was able to look away.

~~~~

Harry listened carefully to the speaker talk about what the boy had been like. At some point he reached out and put an arm around the shoulders of the small, crying girl next to him. The service wasn’t long and very soon people were moving away from the grave site.

Harry pulled the young girl in for a tight hug and whispered to her, “You’re family did so much to help save us all and I’m so very sorry that they had to give their lives in the process. If you need anything at all, just let me know.”

The tiny girl pulled back from their hug and nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. Harry gave her shoulder one final squeeze before she turned away and walked toward her cousin and her new life.

Harry looked back down at the freshly disturbed ground. He stood there like that for a long time. Finally he closed his eyes and sighed. “Thank you,” he paused, “for everything.”

~~~~

Draco watched silently as everyone left the grave; everyone but Harry that is. The blonde had never gotten the chance to watch the other man like this before. He was curious as to what exactly the brunette did after the service.

Draco couldn’t hear what was said between Harry and the small girl, but he watched carefully as the other man turned back in his direction. Harry didn’t look up, so he didn’t notice that Draco was still there before he spoke softly, “Thank you...for everything.”

Draco continued to watch Harry, who kept his head down and his eyes closed for several long minutes. Eventually Harry slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes. Once again their eyes met, though now the green ones were suspiciously watery.

~~~~

It took a few seconds for either man to think of anything to say and it was Harry that finally broke the silence. “Why are you here?” Harry asked, calmly.

“Why do you care?” Draco responded angrily. “Don’t you have more important things to worry about than cleared Death Eaters?”

Harry stared at the blonde for a few seconds, confused. Was Draco mad that he had been spared from a lifetime in Azkaban? “I do,” he answered nonchalantly, “but right now I’m more curious about you.”

Draco was shocked at the brunette’s honesty. He wasn’t shocked, however, that after all they’d been through the school boy rivalry between them had disappeared. Now they were simply two people who knew a lot about each other. They couldn’t even be considered acquaintances, they’d never talked since that fatal day at Hogwarts.

Draco decided that since Harry was being truthful he would be too. “I made a promise. “ He took a breath, “To myself.”

Harry nodded knowingly; he’d made a promise to himself too. He’d promised that he’d make sure everyone remembered all of those that had died in support of him.

They stood in silence for a while, eyes still locked together. After a couple minutes Harry sighed. “Look, a few of us get together for a drink after these. Why don’t you come along?”

Draco looked confused for a second, then smoothed his features back to his usual blank stare. “You’re sure that’s OK?”

“Yeah. You’ve been cleared by the Ministry. We’ve all agreed that past rivalries mean nothing now.” Harry paused. “We’re meeting at the Leaky Cauldron in an hour. Come if you want.”

Draco shrugged, “Maybe.”

Harry nodded but didn’t say anything. He gave the blonde a small smile and walked away.

~~~~

Draco watched Harry walk away. He was confused; could they really let the past go that easily? He wasn’t sure it was possible, but he could hope. All the fighting was exhausting and it was time for them to move on.

Now Draco needed to decide if he was going to join Harry and his friends at the pub. It had been a very long time since Draco had spent anytime with other people. He even avoided his own mother as much as possible. Was he really ready for this? Draco didn’t know.

~~~~

Harry walked away silently. He wondered if Draco would come to the Leaky Cauldron. He wasn’t even sure why he’d felt the need to invite the blonde, but he had a feeling Draco could use the company.

The past two weeks had been hard on everyone and Harry was pretty sure Draco was no exception. He just hoped his friends would be as understanding.

~~~~

Draco got back to his room at the Manor without running into his mother. He laid his robes over the back of the chair next to the door and sprawled across his bed. The blonde stared at the ceiling of his room. He’d had it painted dark blue and his mother had then proceeded to charm it so that it showed the moon and stars all day and night. The memory of the first time he’d seen the finished project seemed a lot further in his past than it should.

Draco thought that maybe, just maybe, he was ready to start facing the world. But did he really want to start with Harry Potter and his friends?

~~~~

Harry arrived back at the Ministry of Magic in time to see Kingsley Shacklebot leaving the room he’d been using as a temporary office. “Minister,” Harry said, slightly shocked, “what brings you down here?”

“Well, I came to see how you were doing,” Kingsley said in his silky drawl. “Let’s go inside and have a seat.”

“Alright,” Harry agreed, moving into the small room. “Is everything OK?”

Kingsley followed the brunette into the room and sat in the chair in front of the desk. “Everything is fine. In fact, we caught two more Death Eaters this morning.”

Harry sat down behind his desk, smiling, “That’s great.” He paused, his smile faltering. “So why did you want to see me?”

“It has been brought to my attention that you have been spending all of your time here, working. Is this true?”

“I suppose it is,” Harry shrugged, confused as to why this matter to the ever busy Minister.

“When was the last time you went home?” Kingsley asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Uh...” Harry hesitated.

“That’s what I thought,” the older man chuckled.

“It’s not like that,” Harry objected. “I don’t really have a home right now...”

“Alright,” Kingsley said, still chuckling slightly. His smile faded as he continued, “I’ve decided to help you out there. I want you to take a couple of weeks off. More, if you want.”

“I don’t want any time off,” Harry practically whined.

“This is not a suggestion, it’s an order Potter,” Kingsley said, threateningly. “If I see you back here at all in the next two weeks, you won’t have a job anymore.”

“Technically, I don’t have a job here,” Harry pointed out.

“You know what I mean, and I’m serious. You need to get away from all this for a while. Get some rest, have some fun, find a place to live. Just get out of here.”

“But I --”

“Now!” Kingsley ordered. “No more arguing.” With that the Minister stood up and left the makeshift office, leaving a confused and startled Harry in his wake.

~~~~

Draco sighed, still laying on his bed. He tried to empty his mind of all thoughts. He’d been attempting this after each of the funerals he attended, but he’d never had much luck. Today was no different. As hard as the blonde tried his mind stubbornly stayed full of thoughts.

He sat up and frowned, “It’s no use.” Draco caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room. He looked warn out; he felt warn out. He wondered if he’d ever look like he did three years ago: happy and carefree.

Draco stood up and walked over to his closet. He wondered what a person would wear when headed out to have a drink with their ex-worst enemy. If he even decided to go. He stood looking at his clothes for a long time in silence.

~~~~

Harry raised his glass, “To Henry Woodleson.”

“Henry Woodleson,” a chorus of voices repeated. Nine glasses were thrown back as the group of friends toasted yet another person who gave their life during the final battle.

There was a moment of silence throughout the entire pub. By now everyone in he Leaky Cauldron had come to expect this ritual and they all joined in the moment of respect. After a minute or so the usual buzz of conversation started to pick back up. The friends began their own conversations, breaking into smaller groups.

Ron turned to Harry, “So. How many more of these are there?”

Harry frowned, “Too many.” He paused. “Twenty more, I think.”

Ron sighed and shook his head, “And do you really have to go to all of them?”

“Yes.”

Hermione moved away from her conversation with Neville and Luna and stood next to Ron, who wound his arm around her waist. “Are you going to ask that every time you see him?”

Ron shrugged, “Probably. I just don’t understand why he’d put himself through that. It’s got to be really depressing.”

“Ron, we’ve talked about this...” Hermione went on but Harry really didn’t feel like listening to this conversation again. The couple seemed to have it everyday.

Harry moved around the room some, trying to see if Draco had shown up. After a moment he determined that the blonde was nowhere to be found and frowned. He wasn’t sure why he was so disappointed by this news. 

~~~~

Draco walked down the street, wondering why he was even going to the Leaky Cauldron. He was late; he had decided minutes before he should have been there that he would go and had to rush to get ready.

He wasn’t sure what to expect when he got there, but he hoped no one would be upset by his arrival. Draco arrived at the pub and stood in front of the door for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

The blonde took a deep breath and pushed the door open. No one inside seemed to take notice of his arrival and he entered the large room quietly. He made his way toward the group of people he recognized from his time and Hogwarts and a familiar messy brown head.

~~~~

“So I hear Kingsley banned you from the Ministry,” George Weasley said to Harry.

Draco stood a few paces from the two men and listened, curious.

“Only for two weeks. He thinks I’m spending too much time there,” Harry shrugged.

George raised one eyebrow, “You still haven’t found a place to stay, have you?”

Draco furrowed his eyebrows in confusion; the famous Harry Potter was homeless?

“I haven’t really looked. I’ve been so busy helping the Aurors.” George nodded understandingly at Harry, who continued talking, “But now I guess I’ll have some time. The only question is where I’ll stay until I find my own place.”

“You know Mum would love to have you at the Burrow,” George suggested.

“I can’t take her overprotective sympathy right now.”

“Why do you think I haven’t been over there yet?” George said knowingly.

Draco stepped closer to the two friends so that he was noticed, “You could always come stay at the Manor. There’s plenty of extra room,” he suggested.

George looked horrified by the idea, but Harry seemed to contemplate the idea. Ron and Hermione walked over, holding hands. “What’s going on?” Ron asked, seeing the looks on Harry’s and George’s faces.

“Malfoy just offered Harry a room in Malfoy Manor for the next couple of weeks,” George explained, still staring in shock at the blonde.

Ron looked between Harry, George and Draco, dumbfounded. Hermione, smiling, spoke first, “That’s a great idea!”

“What?!?” All four men turned to stare at her, a look somewhere between shock, horror, and confusion on all their faces.

“I mean, Harry doesn’t have anywhere else to go and Malfoy Manor is so large. There’s bound to be tons of extra bedrooms.” Her smile faltered slightly. “I doubt they’ll ever even see each other.”

The four men continued to stare at Hermione for a long moment. Then, finally, Harry broke the silence, “Um...Ok...I guess that’s good.” He took a breath. “Thanks Malfoy...”

“Eh...Yeah...You’re welcome Potter.”

There was a tense moment of silence before they were interrupted by Seamus shouting, “Hey everyone! I’ve got an announcement to make!” 

Ten heads turned to look at the dark haired Irish man. Seamus exchanged a quick glance with Dean before he spoke again. “I just want everyone to know that I’m madly in love with my best friend.”

The rest of the friends, and Draco, turned to look at Dean, who blushed. “And,” Seamus went on, moving towards the other man, “he’s madly in love with me, too.” Seamus pressed his body against his lover and Dean wound his arms around Seamus’s back. Their lips met in a kiss and the crowd broke out in applause.

~~~~

As things died down from the exciting news about Seamus and Dean, Harry once again found himself without anyone to talk to. He wondered why he’d accepted Draco’s invitation. Sure, he needed a place to stay, but was Malfoy Manor really a good idea? After everything that had happened there, Harry wasn’t sure if he could handle living there.

~~~~

Draco stood against a wall in the Leaky Cauldron and watched the people around him. There seemed to be a lot of couples out there. Hermione and Ron. Seamus and Dean. Luna and Neville. Draco had also overheard that Ginny was dating Michael Corner again and George was dating Angelina Johnson. 

In fact, out of all the people there that he knew, only he and Harry were still single. “What is it about war that makes people fall in love?” Draco said quietly to himself.

Draco hadn’t noticed the person standing next to him, until they spoke, that is. “It’s knowing that you might not make it until tomorrow,” Ginny said, simply.

Draco startled slightly but regained his composure quickly. He said nothing in response for a long moment and they both simply watched the rest of the room. The pub had started to empty of people, many of them headed home to get ready for dinner. Within a few minutes the only people left were the group of friends, Draco, and Tom.

Ginny was the first to speak again. “Why did you invite Harry to stay with you?” she asked, eying him suspiciously.

Draco looked at her and thought about this for a moment. “I...I don’t know.”

Ginny didn’t seem convinced of his innocence, but Draco didn’t care. He was tired of being around people, “tell Harry to come over whenever. Someone will show him to his room.” With that he turned and walked out of the Leaky Cauldron.

~~~~

Harry walked up the long driveway of Malfoy Manor, trying hard not to think about the last time he’d been there. As he made his way toward the large house he saw a small flock of albino peacock in the distance. He reached the front door and knocked. The heavy wooden door swung open slowly and a small scared-looking house elf stood in the entrance way.

“Good evening Mr. Potter, sir,” the elf practically squeaked.

Harry smiled down at the creature, “Please, call me Harry.” The elf looked slightly taken aback by this request, but nodded in agreement. “What’s your name?”

“Talb, sir.”

“Hello Talb. I’m sure Draco told you to expect me?” Harry asked.

The small house elf nodded. “Master Draco told Talb to take Mister Harry to the guest room.” He took a quick breath. “This way, sir.”

Harry followed the elf up through the large entryway, up the grand staircase and down a long hallway to his left. They had only gone a few paces down the hall before the brunette heard someone approaching. 

“Talb! Was that the door I heard?” Narcissa Malfoy turned the corner. “Oh. Hello Harry.” She smiled warmly. “I’m so glad you’ve come to visit. It’s been quite lonely around here.”

“But Draco’s still here, isn’t he?” Harry asked, confused.

“I’m afraid my dear son has been avoiding me. He spends much of his time shut up in his bedroom,” Narcissa explained. Harry seemed surprised by this news, but didn’t say anything. “Dinner is served at precisely 6:30, in the kitchen. We’ve sealed off the dinning room since...” she trailed off.

Harry bit his lip for a moment, trying not to feel awkward. “Thank you very much, Mrs. Malfoy, for the hospitality. But there’s no need to go through any trouble on my behalf,” Harry smiled at the older woman.

“Oh no. It’s no trouble. My house elves always serve a large dinner. I’d love it if you joined me. Draco rarely does anymore.” She paused. “And please call me Narcissa.”

“Well, thank you,” he took a breath, “Narcissa.”

~~~~

Draco heard voices down the hall from his room. They were muffled, but he could make out at least two distinct voices. He moved over to his door and listened carefully.

“I’d love it if you joined me. Draco rarely does anymore,” Draco heard his mother say. “And please call me Narcissa.”

“Well, thank you...Narcissa,” Harry’s voice floated down the hall. “If you don’t mind I’d just like to see my room and get settled.”

“Oh, of course. Right away,” Draco’s mother muttered.”Talb!”

Draco heard the elf move slightly and stutter, “Y-yes Madam?”

“Take Mister Potter to his room please.”

“Yes Madam,” the elf presumably bowed low. “This way Harry.”

Draco wondered at the informal way the elf addressed Harry, but didn’t worry about it too long. He heard footsteps moving in his direction. Was Talb putting the brunette in the room directly across the hall from his?

~~~~

Harry followed Talb further down the hall as Narcissa headed back the other direction. The house elf stopped in front of a door a little bit further down. “You’re room, Harry,” he said, pushing open the door.

“Thank you Talb.”

“If Mister is needing anything, Mister can simply call for Talb.”

“Thank you. But I can take care of myself,” Harry told the elf.

“Very well, sir,” Talb said bowing low to the ground. “Talb will go now.”

Harry watched as the house elf disapparated and then looked around the room. It was much larger than any room he’d stayed in before, and much nicer as well. The walls were a light blue and the furniture was all made from elm with pure silver accents.

He stepped over to the closet and pulled open the doors. The closet was almost as large as the Dursley’s living room. Harry stared in amazement at the space therein for a moment. “Leave it to a Malfoy to have a closet large enough to live in,” he chuckled as he shut the doors again.

He moved along the wall until he found another door, and then he opened it. He discovered a very large bathroom. “If this is a guest room,” Harry thought, “I can’t imagine what Draco’s room looks like.”

~~~~

Draco listened as Harry was led down the hall. The footsteps stopped just outside his door; it was as he had suspected. Harry would be staying just across the hall from him. He moved back across his room and lay across his bed. “I suppose this is Mother’s way of getting me out of this room,” Draco muttered to himself. “Well, it won’t work.”

Draco frowned. Did his mother really think that having Harry Potter across the hall from him would cheer him up? If she did, she was crazier than he thought. Why would having him nearby change anything?

Draco wondered what Harry was doing right then. Was he unpacking his things, or just taking in the room? That room happened to be the largest guest room in the Manor. Many years ago it had been his great-great-grand father’s bedroom.

~~~~

Harry placed his duffel bag on the desk hear the entrance of the room and pointed his wand at it. His clothes flew across the room and hung themselves in the closet or folded themselves and landed in the bureau. Then he reached into the side pocket and pulled out his most treasured items: the photo album of his parents, the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix, his school tie, and the first snitch he’d ever caught. These he placed carefully on the small table next to the over-sized bed. He looked around the room. “It still looks empty,” he thought. Harry decided he did not want a big house.

Harry lay across the bed and stared at the plain white ceiling. He wondered where Draco’s room was. Then he wondered what the blonde was doing. Then, he wondered why he even cared.

~~~~

Draco lay across his bed for a long time thinking about Harry. Why would the most famous person in the Wizarding world shut himself up in the Ministry all the time? Why wasn’t he out there enjoying all the praise?

Maybe Draco had underestimated Harry. Maybe Harry wasn’t the attention hogging, wannabe wonder boy Draco had always thought he was. Maybe Draco had been wrong about him.

~~~~

Harry lay across his bed for a long time thinking about Draco. Why would an ex-death eater attend the funerals of all the people killed during the final battle? Why wasn’t he avoiding the people who hated him the most?

Maybe Harry had underestimated Draco. Maybe Draco wasn’t the stuck up, uncaring brat Harry had always thought he was. Maybe Harry had been wrong about him.

~~~~

Narcissa sat at a small table in the kitchen that was set for three. She had expected to dine alone, as had become the norm in Malfoy Manor. She had not expected Harry or Draco to both show up, within minutes of each other, shortly after dinner had started.

The meal was rather tense, neither of the men said much. Narcissa tried to keep the conversation going but Harry and Draco only have short answers and didn’t elaborate on anything. Narcissa had hoped that having someone new in the house would draw Draco out of his shell, but so far it wasn’t working. Maybe she had underestimated the lingering strength of their old rivalry.

“So Harry, what are you’re plans for tomorrow?” Narcissa asked politely.

“I’ll be looking for a loft,” Harry answered without even looking up from his plate.

Narcissa smiled, “There’s no rush. Please take your time. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

Draco shot his mother a quick look of anger and Narcissa’s smile widened. “And what about you, Draco dear?” What will you be doing tomorrow?”

“I don’t know mother. Most likely nothing,” Draco answered tersely.

“Well, why don’t you help Harry find a place to stay?” She suggested innocently.

“I doubt he needs help mother,” Draco objected.

“Nonsense. An extra pair of eyes is always helpful when trying to pick a nice place to live. Right Harry?”

Harry looked up, unsure how to answer. “Uh...I guess.”

“Then it’s settled. Draco will accompany you tomorrow, Harry,” Narcissa announced before standing up and leaving the kitchen. The two men stared at each other, dumbfounded.

~~~~

A few moments after his mother left the dinner table, Draco followed after her. He had some questions and she better have some good explanations. He wandered through the house, trying to figure out where she was hiding. Draco checked the parlor and the library, but there was no sign of his mother. He even checked her bedroom, but she was not to be found there either. Finally, he decided to check the garden room.

The garden room had been his father’s favorite room when he was home. It was always sunny in there thanks to the wall of windows that over looked the large garden behind the Manor. Narcissa was sitting on the black leather couch that faced the windows, staring out at the setting sun. Draco crossed the room and sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a long time.

~~~~

Harry left the kitchen when the house elf began clearing the table. He had just simply sat at the table for several minutes after Draco left, wondering what he’d gotten himself into by accepting the blonde’s polite invitation. It seemed that Draco’s mother was determined to make the two men spend time together and Harry wondered why. Was Draco really that lonely?

Harry wondered aimlessly through the first floor of the Manor. No one had given him a tour and he was curious about the house. There were several large rooms on this floor, each with a different person. In addition to the kitchen, there was a parlor, a library, and an office.

There was also a room that had been boarded up. He stood in front of the door and felt the magic that sealed the room as well as the boards. He tried hard not to remember the last time he was in this part of Malfoy Manor, but it was hard not to.

~~~~

“You’re father loved this room,” Narcissa told her son. Draco nodded, but kept quiet. Now that he was sitting with his mother, his questions no longer seemed all that important. “He proposed to me in here, in fact,” she smiled nostalgically. “I was sitting right here. His parents were there,” she pointed to another couch sitting perpendicular to the one they occupied. “And my parents were standing, looking out the windows.”

Narcissa fell silent again, and Draco was finally able to speak. “What are you doing?” he asked, turning to look at her.

Narcissa looked confused, “What do you mean?”

“Making me help Harry tomorrow. What are you doing?” Draco elaborated.

His mother frowned slightly. “I’m tired of seeing you so lonely, dear.”

“I am not lonely, Mother,” Draco said indignantly. “I just don’t know anyone worth spending time with.”

“Well, what about Harry?”

“Potter?!?” Draco practically shouted. “You’re crazy. He and I will never be able to get along.”

“You got along fine at dinner,” Narcissa pointed out.

“Because we barely spoke,” Draco told her. “You’ll see. Tomorrow will be a disaster.” With that Draco stood up and walked toward the door.

“Yes. We’ll all see,” Draco’s mother said airily as he left the room.

~~~~

Harry stood frozen in front of the sealed and boarded up doors. His mind continued to conjure up the images of his time here not too long ago: Hermione screaming in pain, Petegrew’s silver hand turning on him, the fear in Draco’s eye,...

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. The longer he stood there the worse it got. What felt like hours later his vision faded, the world went black, and Harry “The Boy Who Lived” Potter passed out.

“Harry!”

~~~~

Draco walked through the manor, fuming slightly. He was not lonely, no matter what his mother thought. He didn’t care what she said, he and Potter would never be friends. Ever.

He stopped suddenly. There in front of him stood Harry, staring at the large room they’d had to close off. The brunette seemed rooted to the spot and as Draco watched Harry swayed and then fell, unconscious.

“Harry!” Draco yelled in shock as he rushed toward the other man. Harry hit the ground with a thump and didn’t open his eyes. Draco looked down at him in shock for a second before he pointed his mother’s wand at the brunette. Draco levitated Harry carefully up the stairs and into the guest room across the hall from his room. He moved him onto the bed and then stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed. Harry remained unconscious for many minutes and Draco began to worry that something was very wrong.

~~~~

Harry was in hell. His mind was making him relive all of the worst parts of his time searching for Horcruxes. He knew, deep down, that he wasn’t actually there again, but he couldn’t help feeling the panic and fear of the moment. He struggled with his subconscious, trying desperately to wake himself up. He didn’t want to see all this. He never wanted to think about these things ever again. And yet his mind was playing them over and over again.

~~~~

Draco watched the brunette, looking for some sign of injury. He couldn’t see anything physically wrong with Harry. But now he was breaking out in a sweat. Draco wondered what he should do. What should he do?

Just as he was about to call for the house elf, Harry began to stir. He didn’t open his eyes, but something about him changed. He was struggling with something and began to groan.

“NO!” Harry shouted, eyes flying open.

~~~~

Harry struggled harder with his subconscious and just when he was about to give up he saw the scene that scared him most of all: the Great Hall lined with dead bodies. “NO!” he shouted, finally able to open his eyes and dripping with sweat.

He sat up and stared in shock and surprise at the blonde. Draco stared back, equally surprised. They remained like that for a long moment before Draco spoke, “You passed out.”

Harry nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow. “I did.” He paused. “But how did I get up here?”

“I levitated you.” Draco took a deep breath. “I thought you’d gotten hurt somehow.”

Honesty seemed to be their new thing because Harry felt like telling the other man exactly what had happened. “That room...it...made me remember. And...I’m not really sure why...but it just...” he took a steadying breath, “I don’t know.”

Draco nodded knowingly and sat on the end of the bed. He’d felt something similar the first several times he’d passed the room. “You were struggling...” Draco trailed off.

Harry nodded and finally looked away from Draco. “I was seeing things. Things that had happened to me, before.”

Draco nodded again, but said nothing. The two boys sat in silence; neither really knew what to say next.

~~~~

Draco thought about how worried he’d been when he’d seen Harry fall. Why did he care so much? Just a couple of days ago he could have cared less if the brunette got hurt, and now he was worrying about it. Was something changing about him? Was he starting to care about Harry? And was Harry starting to care about him?

~~~~

Harry thought about the look that had been on Draco’s face when he woke up. The blonde had been genuinely worried. Harry had never seen that much emotion on the other man’s face before, and he was surprised at how good that made him feel. Was something changing about Draco? Was he starting to care about Harry? And was Harry starting to care about him?

~~~~

There was a soft knock on the door and both men jumped. A moment later the door swung open and Talb entered the room carrying a large tray laden with two tea cups. “Mistress Malfoy asked Talb to bring Mister Harry and Master Draco some tea,” the elf explained, carrying the tray carefully over to Draco.

Draco stood up quickly, “I’ll take mine in my room.”

“Y-yes Master,” Talb stuttered as Draco exited the room. The small house elf made his way over to Harry. “Talb hopes that Harry is pleased with his accommodations.”

“Yes, thank you,” Harry smiled, taking the offered cup of tea. “I have a question for you.”

“Anything, sir.”

“Where is Draco’s room?”

“Across the hall, sir,” Talb answered before bowing low. “Does Harry need anything else?”

“No Talb. Thank you.”

And with that the house elf left the room.

~~~~

Draco sat at the desk in his bedroom feeling very confused. Talb came in a few moments later and placed his cup of tea in front of him before exiting quietly. Draco put his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands. Why was he feeling all confused? Why were things suddenly changing between Harry and him?

Draco looked up and sighed. It had been a long day and tomorrow wasn’t looking like it would be any better. He was tired and ready to go to sleep. He changed into his black silk pajamas and climbed into bed. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep and his dreams that night all centered around a certain brunette.

~~~~

Harry sat on the edge of his bed drinking his tea and feeling very confused. He stared at the floor and wondered why things were suddenly so different between himself and the blonde. He understood why the school boy rivalry was no longer an issue but there had been more to it then that, hadn’t there?

Harry wondered if their dislike of each other stemmed mostly from their opposite sides of the war. And since that was over, and since Harry had seen the fear in Draco’s eyes and understood what that meant, it meant that their rivalry was over. It made some sense to him, but he was worried that they wouldn’t be able to let go of their past that easily.

Harry yawned. It had been a long day and tomorrow wasn’t looking like it would be any better. He was tired and ready to go to sleep. He changed into his pajamas (a white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants) and climbed into bed. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep and his dreams that night all centered around a certain blonde.

~~~~

Draco awoke with a start the next morning. He’d been dreaming about Harry, but not in anyway he had expected. He shook his head, trying to get the image his mind had created (naked, sexy Harry) out of his head. He closed his eyes, but he still saw that same sight. His eyes flew open. This wasn’t good. He could not start to have feelings for the brunette.Draco knew it would do him no good. And would probably only cause him pain.

Plus he just wasn’t ready to start feeling things. Draco was enjoying the almost numb-ness he’d been experiencing since the Final Battle. He shook his head one more time for good measure before he got out of bed and walked over to his closet.

~~~~

Harry awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed. He had not just been dreaming about his ex-rival, right? As much as he tried to deny it he just wasn’t able to forget the images from his dream. He wasn’t sure that dream had been better than his usual nightmare. He sighed. This wasn’t good. It had been a long time since he’d felt anything for someone and he had a feeling the blonde wasn’t the best place to start. Harry didn’t think anything good could come from wanting Draco.

Plus he just wasn’t ready to start feeling things. Harry was enjoying feeling numb. He had learned during the Final Battle that it was easier. He sighed one more time before he got out of bed and walked over to his closet.

~~~~

Draco got dressed quickly and then sat on the end of his bed. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly and evenly. Once again he tried to empty all thoughts from his mind.

Several moments passed.

“Ugh!” Draco couldn’t do it. He wasn’t sure that he’d ever be able to clear his mind again. Especially with Harry around. He gave up and sighed. Draco stood up and walked across his room to the door. Before opening it he listened carefully for sounds of Harry. He didn’t want to run into him in the hall. Not after the dream he still couldn’t get out of his mind.

It was quiet outside Draco’s room and he felt confident enough to leave it. The blonde pulled open the door and came practically face to face with Harry, who opened his door at the exact same moment.

~~~~

Harry got dressed quickly and then surveyed his belongings. He had a feeling he should own more stuff than he did, but he didn’t really care. He could almost see what the closet would look like if it was Draco’s and chuckled slightly. Harry closed his eyes and imagined a closet full, most likely to overflowing, with fancy clothes. There would be a dozen or more pairs of fancy shoes as well. He shook his head in amusement. He opened his eyes again and frowned slightly. After he found a loft, Harry would go shopping and fill up his new closet.

Harry walked over to the bedroom door, shutting the closet door on his way, and listened carefully for any sounds of movement in the hallway. He wasn’t ready to start his day with Draco just yet. Harry didn’t hear anything and decided it was safe. The brunette pulled open the door and looked directly into the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

~~~~

The two men walked quietly down the hall, side by side. Neither looked at the other as they made their way to the kitchen. As they passed what they had each come to refer to in their minds as “The Room” they averted their eyes, looking instead at the paintings of some of Draco’s ancestors that lined the wall opposite it.

They entered the kitchen a few seconds later and found Draco’s mother already sitting at the small round table. Draco sat to her left, kissing her cheek and greeting her sweetly, “Morning Mother.”

“Good morning dear,” Narcissa smiled. She turned to Harry, “And good morning to you too.”

“Good morning Narcissa,” Harry smiled back, sitting to her right.

Draco frowned and picked up that morning’s Daily Prophet. He scanned the headlines, not seeing anything of interested. He picked up the mug sitting in front of him and took a deep drink of coffee, feeling the caffeine working through his veins.

Talb approached Harry and bowed slightly, “What would Harry like for breakfast?”

“Coffee please. And some toast would be fine,” Harry answered, smiling at the elf.

“Right away, sir.” Talb turned and walked away. He returned moments later with a tray. The house elf placed a mug and a plate on the table in front of Harry and bowed again, backing away slowly.

“Thank you Talb,” Harry said.

“There’s no need to thank the workers,” Draco admonished, putting his paper down for a moment. 

“You may not care about the feelings of your slaves, but some people do,” Harry retorted.

Narcissa could see that this would easily turn into a full blown fight so she decided to intervene. “So Harry,” she said calmly, “where do you think you’ll start your search?”

Harry glared at Draco for a second longer before turning a smile on his mother. Draco returned to reading the Prophet and tried to ignore the brunette as he spoke. “I thought I’d check the Prophet first and then go out and start looking at places.”

“Wonderful idea. Draco,” she paused and waited for the blonde to look up at her, “why don’t you show Harry the real estate listings?”

Draco rolled his eyes behind the paper before flipping forward a few pages and tearing out the correct section. He thrust the page at Harry without even looking up. Narcissa sighed and Draco looked over the top of the Daily Prophet at her, one eyebrow raised. She shook her head in exasperation and sighed again. Draco shrugged, took another drink of his coffee and returned to reading the paper.

Harry watched the exchange between mother and son with mild interest. He enjoyed seeing the dynamics in families, having never really gotten to experience it first hand. As Draco returned to the newspaper Harry picked up the page the blonde had given him and began scanning the listings.

They ate in silence for a while. Draco finished looking through the Prophet while Harry was still looking at the real estate listings. Narcissa finished her breakfast and smiled at the two men before speaking, “Well, I have some things to take care of in town. I’ll be back for dinner. You boys have a wonderful day.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you Narcissa. Have a good day yourself.”

Draco leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek again, “Goodbye Mother.”

Narcissa stood up and left the room. Harry continued to study the page in front of him for a little while longer. Draco simply watched the brunette. He wasn’t sure what it was about Harry, but he couldn’t stop watching and thinking about the other man.

Harry sighed and set the paper down. He looked up just in time to see Draco look away quickly. Had the blonde just been staring at him? He wasn’t sure. “So. There’s a couple of promising lofts listed. I guess we should get going,” Harry said.

Draco shrugged his shoulders, “Whatever you say.”

Harry nodded once and stood up, picking the page of the Prophet back up. He folded it and stuck it in his pocket. He didn’t wait for Draco to stand before he talked towards the front doors. They walked in silence through the Manor and down the long driveway until they reached the other side of the gates and the point from which they could apparate. Draco sighed this time, “Where to?”

Harry pulled the page from the Daily Prophet out of his pocket and handed it to Draco. “Fourth one down.”

Draco nodded as he unfolded the page. He glanced at the address and then they apparated in unison. They touched down and Draco handed the page back to Harry. The blonde looked up at the building in front of him as Harry refolded the page and put it away. It was a tall brick building with at least fifteen storeys. The neighborhood was nice enough; there was very little foot traffic and a small park about a block away.

Harry surveyed the street as well. There was a newspaper stand in front of the building across the street and a small coffee shop next to that. The buildings in the vicinity were well taken care of, many with bushes or flower beds in front of them.

They entered the building without saying anything. Harry thought about how different this situation would have been if he was with Ron or Hermione. There would be lots of talking right then, not he slightly awkward silence that surrounded him. The two men located the landlord’s office on the ground floor and Harry knocked twice. “One moment,” someone inside the office shouted. A minute later a short, elderly witch opened the door and greeted them, without really looking at them. “Good morning. How may I help y--” she looked up and saw Harry for the first time. “Harry Potter!” she exclaimed.

Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s the famous Harry Potter,” he said demeaningly. “We’re here to look at the loft for rent.”

The witch eyed Draco for a moment before frowning. She looked back at Harry, clearly trying to understand what the two of them were doing together, “Right this way.” She shuffled down the hall and started up the steps, not even bothering to make sure she was being followed.

Harry and Draco exchanged a bemused glance before following after her. They made their way slowly up two floors before the witch turned off the stairs. She walked halfway down the hall before she spoke again, “This is the loft.” She pointed her wand at the door and it swung open. “Have a look around, if you have any questions I’ll be back in the office.” With that she shuffled back down the hall.

Harry walked into the loft and looked around. It was a good size; it even had a fireplace. The entryway opened into a simple living room (complete with the fireplace). The kitchen, to the left, was just big enough to comfortably cook in, though Harry was sure that Molly Weasley would not approve. To Harry’s right was a short hallway with a few doors. Harry and Draco moved toward the hall at the same time and Harry chuckled inwardly at their coordination. 

There was a decent sized bathroom first, followed by a small bedroom, that didn’t seem all that much bigger than the cupboard under the stairs that Harry had once lived in. On the other side of the hallway was a larger bedroom, approximately the same size as Dudley’s second bedroom, which Harry had been given the honor of using for the past few years.

After a few minutes of exploring in silence the two men found themselves back in the living room. “It’s kind of small,” Draco said nonchalantly.

Harry scoffed. “Anything would seem small compared to Malfoy Manor.”

Draco grinned, “That’s true.”

Harry rolled his eyes, laughing slightly, “Let’s go look at the next one.”

~~~~

Harry and Draco practically collapsed into chairs at a table near the back of a small restaurant down the street from the fifth loft they’d looked at that morning. Draco sighed, “I can;t believe the size of those closets that pass of decent lofts.”

“Not everyone can live in a mansion, Draco,” Harry exhaled. 

“But you’re Harry Potter!”

“So?”

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, ask for a bigger loft and someone will give it to you?” Draco asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry stared in shock at the blonde for a long moment. “You really believe I can do that?”

Draco scoffed. “You’re ‘the Chosen One’,” he said mockingly, “you get everything you want simply handed to you!”

“Yeah. Sure. Everything’s been so easy for me,” Harry said sarcastically, shaking his head in disbelief. “The cupboard I lived in for eleven years was perfect. And having my life threatened every year at school was great. Not to mention having to actually walk to my death just a couple weeks ago!”

Draco was speechless. How was he supposed to respond to that?

“Yeah, but things have been so lovely for me,” Harry practically yelled before turning on the spot and apparating away.

~~~~

Draco sat staring at the spot Harry had disappeared from in confusion. Things had been going so well between them; they had spent all morning together without arguing. But then Draco had to open his big mouth and mess things up. And it wasn’t like Draco actually believe those things anymore anyway. He was just so used to saying them. Draco knew things hadn’t been easy for the brunette during the war, but he hadn’t realized he’d had a hard time before that. Draco was really starting to understand that he didn’t know very much about Harry.

“Can I get ya something, sweetie?” a young waitress asked, pulling Draco out of his musings.

Draco stood up, “No thank you.” With that he apparated.

~~~~

Harry was surprised to find not only Ginny and Molly at the Burrow but also Ron and Hermione. He’d apparated directly into the front garden nearly ten minutes ago and hadn’t stopped pacing and muttering angrily to himself since. Molly, upon hearing the crack of apparition, had sent Ginny out to see who it was. She returned to the kitchen and informed her mother, brother, and brother’s girlfriend that Harry was in a strop.

Hermione had sighed and then dragged Ron outside to figure out what was upsetting the brunette. They had listened to Harry’s muttering and only been able to figure out that Draco had accused Harry of something, though they had no idea what. “Harry! Will you please just tell us what’s wrong?” Hermione said, exasperated.

“Malfoy!” Harry managed to exclaim before returning to his muttering.

“What did the ferret do now?” Ron sighed. Harry simply threw his arms up in response before turning on the spot and continuing to pace.

“Harry,” Hermione said sweetly but firmly, “if you don’t stop that I’ll put a full body bind on you.”

Harry froze mid-step and turned toward his two best friends. “Sorry guys,” he frowned and moved to sit on the back stairs next to Ron. “He’s just so frustrating!”

“What did you expect, mate. It’s Malfoy!” the redhead stated.

Hermione reached across her boyfriend and placed a hand on Harry’s knee. “What did he say?”

Harry scoffed. “He said I’d had an easy life. Claimed I got everything handed to me.”

Ron rolled his eyes but didn’t have a response to this. Hermione sighed again, “Harry did you really think things had changed between you two? You’ve been at each other’s throats for seven years.”

Harry’s frown deepened. “I know, but we’d had a fine morning. No arguing at all until lunch.” He paused. “I guess it was just too much to ask for. Ron, is there still room for me here?”

“Always.”

~~~~

Draco knocked on the door to the room Harry was staying in, again. “Harry! Are you in there?” He called. There was still no answer. He’d been knocking on the door for nearly ten minutes now. The blonde had apparated back to Malfoy Manor with the hope that Harry had gone there, but apparently he was wrong. “Talb!”

The house elf appeared next to Draco in the hall. “Y-yes Master Draco?” the elf squeaked.

“Inform me the instant Harry gets here. And bring me some lunch to my room,” Draco commanded.

“Yes Master,” the elf said before disappearing.

Draco knocked once more on Harry’s door before sighing. He walked across the hall and into his bedroom. Draco thought about Harry some more as he sat down at the desk next to his door. A few moments later Talb reappeared next to the blonde, carrying a tray laden with tea and a plate of chicken alfredo. The house elf set the plate and cup of tea on the desk in front of Draco and then silently backed out of the room, bowing low to the ground.

Why did Draco open his mouth and screw things up? He was beginning to think that maybe he shouldn’t be allowed around people at all. He seemed to only make things worse. The blonde picked up his fork and poked at the food on his plate. Draco had never felt so horrible about something he’d said in his entire life.

~~~~

Harry really didn’t want to go back to Malfoy Manor, only because he didn’t feel like running into Draco. The brunette knew he needed to go get his stuff, but he was trying to put it off as long as possible. He had decided to just bite the bullet and stay at the Burrow. It couldn’t be all that bad, right? Harry had spent all afternoon there, with Mrs. Weasley doting on him nonstop. If he was going to live here, even temporarily, he would have to find a different place to spend his days. Too bad he wasn’t allowed at the Ministry.

Harry sighed. He knew he couldn’t put it off much longer. It was time to head back to Malfoy Manor and gather his things. “I’ll be back later,” he told Ron and Hermione. Harry walked outside and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. For goodness sakes, He was Harry Potter! Going back to Malfoy Manor should not scare him like this. He closed his eyes and turned on the spot.

~~~~

Draco was beginning to wonder if Harry was ever going to come back. He was worried that the other man was going to find a different place to stay. Why this bothered him, Draco wasn’t sure he really wanted to think about. He had taken to pacing around his room about an hour ago and now he was getting annoyed with himself. Why was he so upset about Harry not being there? How was it that in the past twenty four hours he went from not wanting the brunette anywhere nearby to worrying about his whereabouts?

Could it be that Draco actually cared for Harry?

~~~~

Harry apparated to a spot a short walk from Malfoy Manor, wanting to clear his head before going inside. Why were Draco’s comments bothering him so much? He’d never cared about what the blonde said in the past. Harry stopped walking when the large house came in to view around some large oak trees. Why were things changing so suddenly?

Could it be that Harry actually cared for Draco?

~~~~

“M-Master Draco?” the small house elf stuttered.

Draco glared at the elf from where he was lying across the floor in his closet, “What is it Talb?”

“Mister Harry just arrived. He’s heading to his room now.”

“Very well. Leave me and Harry alone for a while,” he dismissed the house elf. Talb jumped slightly at the harshness in the man’s voice then bowed low to the ground and disapparated. Draco sat up and moved quickly to his bedroom door. He listened carefully to see if he could hear the brunette. A few minutes later he heard movement in the hallway. Someone walked down the hall quietly and pushed open a door. Draco heard the door across the hall click closed softly and then took a steadying breath.

Draco pulled open his door and peered down the hall in both directions, checking to make sure no one else was around and could disturb him. He crossed the hall in two strides and knocked. There was no answer so when Draco knocked again he called, “Harry, it’s Draco. Please let me in.”

The door swung open and Draco stepped into the room. Harry, it seemed, was packing up all of his stuff. His bag lay open on the bed. Harry emerged from the closet with an armful or clothes and glared at Draco. “What do you want?”

“I just...I wanted to...” Draco sighed. He wasn’t used to apologizing. Harry continued to move around the room, gathering up his things. Draco caught him by the arm as he walked past, “Will you just stop and listen to me?”

Harry shrugged out of Draco’s grip but didn’t go back to packing. Instead, he looked up at Draco expectantly, but the blonde seemed unsure of where to start. Harry relaxed his features slightly and waited for Draco to speak.

Draco studied the carpet for a moment before looking up and meeting bright green eyes. “I’m sorry,” Draco whispered. “For what I said earlier. I don’t really believe that anymore.”

Harry smiled slightly, “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.”

Draco smiled back, but a second later his smile faltered. “Are you...leaving?” he asked, looking around the room.

“I thought about it,” Harry said. He pointed his want at the items on the bed and they flew back to where they had been. “But I guess I can stay.”

“Good,” Draco smiled again, looking back into Harry’s eyes.

They stood that way for several minutes, just looking into each other’s eyes. Grey into green. Green into gray. And they both wondered what the other saw.

They both moved at the same time, taking a step closer together. That was all it took for them to be chest to chest and before either man could think about what was happening their lips had crashed together in a passionate kiss. Draco’s hands moved up and laced in Harry’s hair while Harry’s arms wound around Draco’s waist, pulling them closer together. They kissed until they couldn’t breath, and then they kissed some more.

It was Harry’s brain that caught up first. “Wait,” he said, pushing away from the blonde. “We can’t do this,” he added, panting slightly.

Draco looked sad for a quick second before controlling his features. “Right,” he said, nodding and backing up. Before Harry could say any more, Draco fled.


	2. Part 2

Harry regretted his actions the moment Draco was out of sight. “Wait!” he called after the blonde, feebly. He knew it was too late. Harry sighed. Why did he always screw things up? It wasn’t the kiss he regretted. If he was honest with himself, which he was trying to be, that had been the best kiss of his life. So why had he pushed Draco away?

Harry worried about Draco. Was he mad at Harry? Was he sorry about what happened? Was the frown Harry thought he’d seen just a figment of his imagination or was Draco really upset that Harry had stopped things?

~~~~

Draco practically ran down the hall and took the stairs two at a time. He rushed through the house and out into the back garden. He slowed down only when he reached the section of the garden that was all roses. There was a bench in the middle of this part and Draco sat on it, looking down at the ground. Why was he so upset?

So what if he’d just had the most amazing kiss of his life only to be pushed away? Why did that matter. It’s not like he had feelings for harry anyway, right? Draco sighed. He wasn’t fooling himself. It had hurt when Harry pushed him away. He did care about the brunette. He couldn’t deny it anymore. But now he knew it was pointless. Harry couldn’t possibly feel the same if he’d rejected him after that kiss.

~~~~

Harry paced across his room for a while. What should he do? He didn’t want Draco to be mad at him, but he wasn’t sure that he could face him without kissing him again. And what good would come from that? “Come on Harry. You’re a Gryffindor! Nothing scares you,” he tried to psych himself up.

Harry sighed. It hadn’t helped any. But it got him thinking. Why should he be worried about this? Why couldn’t he give it a try? Harry nodded to himself. He wanted this, after all. He moved to the window. But where was Draco? He surveyed the ground outside his window and saw a familiar blond head in the rose garden. Harry smiled and left the room quickly.

~~~~

Draco stared at the ground at his feet. Why was he so upset about this? It wasn’t that big of a deal. He’d been through much worse. But somehow being pushed away by the first person he’d felt anything towards in a long time hurt much worse than anything he’d ever felt before.

Draco sighed. He was being ridiculous. He was acting like a lovesick school girl. He shook his head to clear it, but it didn’t work. He decided to stand up and try to walk it off. Just as he was about to walk away he heard footsteps approaching. He was worried it was his mother so he turned to look, only to come almost face-to-face with he only other person Draco did not want to see right then.

~~~~

Harry gave Draco a half smile before speaking. “Draco, I’m sorry.” He took a deep breath. “I just wasn’t ready for that.”

Draco said nothing, he wasn’t sure what that meant. Did it mean that Harry didn’t want that with Draco? Or did it mean that he did want it, he just hadn’t expected it to happen then?

Harry watched Draco carefully for some show of emotion, but the blonde’s expression didn’t change. Harry wasn’t sure what that meant. Did it mean that Draco didn’t want Harry’s apology because he didn’t want Harry? Or did it meant that Draco did want Harry but was still upset?

They stood in silence for a long moment, just looking at each other. Finally Harry gathered up enough courage to move. He took a step toward Draco and spoke softly. “I tried to call you back, but you left so quickly.” Draco nodded, watching Harry and trying to figure out why he was still talking. Harry took another step forward. “I didn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing that at all,” his voice got softer.

Draco watched in mild shock as Harry took another step, one that closed the last bit of distance between them. “I just meant that we needed to breath,” Harry breathed. With that their lips met again.

~~~~

 

Narcissa sat alone in her favorite room of Malfoy Manor, looking out at her garden. She smiled as the two men in the roses kissed. It wasn’t exactly what she had expected to happen when Harry was invited to stay there, but it was better, in her opinion. She was glad that Draco was apparently feeling things again. And she knew that Harry was a nice man. She was very happy that things were looking good for them both.

She remembered the first time she had kissed her husband. It was in the exact spot her son was standing right then. They had just had a huge fight, their first in fact, and Narcissa had fled to the roses to think. Lucius had followed her to apologize and before she knew it he was kissing her. 

She was interrupted from her musing by the house elf appearing in front of her. “Madam, a Mr. Ronald Weasley and Ms. Hermione Granger are at the gate.”

“What do they want?” Narcissa asked, finally looking away from the scene in the garden.

“They wish to see Mister Harry Potter, ma’am.”

“Very well,” Narcissa sighed. “Bring them here.”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” the elf bowed before disappearing.

Narcissa watched as the two men continued to kiss. Draco had wound his arms around Harry’s neck. Harry’s arms were around Draco’s waist and from where she sat she could clearly see that his hands were working their way towards her son’s rear. Narcissa chuckled. They’d be a couple by the end of the night, the rate they were going.

Narcissa heard footsteps approaching and stood up to welcome her guests. Ron and Hermione entered the room, looking around in awe. “Welcome to Malfoy Manor,” Narcissa smiled.

“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy,” Hermione returned the smile. “You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you.”

Hermione turned to Ron to admonish him for not being polite but when she saw that he was staring out the windows in shock she forgot why. She followed his line of sight and immediately realized why horror was mixed with the shock on Ron’s face.

Narcissa’s smile widened. “So as you see, Harry can be found in the garden.” As if to emphasize his current situation, Harry’s hand squeezed Draco’s butt. Ron and Hermione stared in surprise for a while longer. 

After a few more seconds Hermione found her voice, “So...how long has...that...?”

“Oh, just a few minutes,” Narcissa said nonchalantly. Then, “Would you two like to stay for dinner?”

Ron finally looked away from the window and the shocking scene beyond it to stare in confusion at Malfoy’s mom. “You..” he pointed at Narcissa, “want us...” he gestured between himself and his girlfriend, “to stay for dinner?” he mimicked eating.

Narcissa looked at him in confusion for a moment. Was he really that stupid? “Yes. Given the current situation,” she looked pointedly out the windows. “I though it would be nice.”

“I suppose it is a good idea,” Hermione said thoughtfully, looking at Narcissa. “It seems we’ll be seeing a lot more of...Draco...in the near future.” She glanced back out the windows, only to see Draco’s hands up Harry’s shirt.

Narcissa followed her line of sight and smiled again. “They’re so cute together, aren’t they?”

“Mm-hmm,” Hermione agreed.

“Ick!” Ron gaged, having risked another look outside. 

Ron looked imploringly at his girlfriend, and finally she gave in, “Fine.” Hermione opened the door that led to the garden and smiled again. She really hated to be the one to break this up. “Harry!” she called.

Harry and Draco turned to see who had spoken, without letting go of each other. They were shocked to see Narcissa, Ron and Hermione all watching them. They jumped apart, blushing. Harry shared a quick glance with Draco before he headed towards the Manor.

Draco followed the brunette back into the Manor. “Granger. Weasel,” he nodded greetings. Hermione nodded back, but Ron completely ignored him.

“Just what was that about?!?!” Ron exclaimed, addressing Harry and gesturing wildly at the windows.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, trying to look innocent and failing miserably.

“Don’t you play game with me!” the redhead shouted. “You know exactly what I mean. You left the Burrow to quickly get your stuff. When you didn’t come back we got worried and came to offer some help. But when we get here what do we find?” Ron Ron threw up his arms in exasperation. “You snogging the ferret! The ferret of all people!”

Harry shared a bemused look with Draco, Narcissa and Hermione before addressing his ranting best friend. “Well, then there was nothing to worry about, was there?”

“But...Malfoy!!”

“Draco is not the same person he was before.” Harry smiled. “In fact, I like him just fine now.”

“But...But...” Ron looked from Draco (who looked surprised) to Harry (who was angry and determined) to Hermione (who looked like she agreed with Harry). “But...Fine!” He threw his hand up in defeat. “Fine. But I’m not calling him ‘Draco’.”

Harry smiled. “That’s fine.”

~~~~

Dinner had been pleasant. Harry and Draco kept stealing covert looks at each other that no one missed. They sat next to each other and “accidentally” touched whenever possible. Hermione kept Ron in line, with one well-chosen threat. After dinner, Narcissa had invited them all to join her in the library to continue the conversation and to have a drink. Harry had glared daggers at Hermione when she accepted, though his anger at her had softened some when he’d gotten a tumbler of scotch handed to him.

But that had been an hour ago and now all Harry wanted was to sneak off with Draco so he could snog him senseless. Suddenly, he wondered if Draco wanted the same thing. He looked over at the blonde, wishing he could read minds.

Draco glanced over at Harry and saw the brunette watching him. He tried with all his might to telepathically communicate what he wanted. He wanted to get out of there and drag Harry bodily with him. Harry gave the blonde a sexy smile before looking away.

“So Harry, Draco, can I ask you a question?” Hermione said, distracting the men from each other.

“You just did,” Draco drawled.

Hermione rolled her eyes and continued as if the blonde hadn’t said anything. “So...are you two...you...?” she flushed slightly.

“What?” Harry was confused.

“Together?” she finished. Narcissa looked intrigued, Ron look frightened. Harry and Draco each went a little pink in the cheeks and glanced at each other quickly before looking resolutely in different directions. 

“Now Hermione. I believe you’ve put them on the spot. Perhaps that;s a question best left for another day,” Narcissa smiled.

Hermione looked from Harry to Draco, both of whom were very obviously trying not to look at the other. “I suppose you’re right, Narcissa.” She moved to where her boyfriend was standing. “Shall we head out Ron? It’s getting late.”

“Yes!” Ron said, slightly desperate. “Let’s get out of here.”

Hermione frowned at the redhead for a second before turning a smile on Narcissa. “Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful.”

“You’re very welcome. Allow me to see you out,” Narcissa said, gesturing toward the door. She gave the two remaining men a sly smile before she left the room.

~~~

Harry and Draco didn’t waste anytime; as soon as Narcissa, Ron and Hermione left the room, they moved. Harry crossed the room in two strides and pushed himself against Draco, pressing their lips together. They remained like this for a long moment, but when Draco heard the front door close loudly he pulled back from the brunette.

Draco practically dragged Harry up the stairs and into his bedroom. As soon as the door shut behind them Harry had Draco pressed up against the door, kissing him fiercely. Their hands freely explored each other and before long their shirts had been tossed carelessly to the ground.

Draco pushed Harry back from the door. “Bed,” he moaned as Harry kissed and nibbled on his neck. Draco had always loved being kissed there. Harry took advantage of Draco’s apparent sensitivity and bit down harder. Draco groaned loudly and ground his hips against the brunette. This time, Harry moaned. Draco moved in to kiss Harry again as their legs finally hit the side of the bed.

They broke apart from the kiss a few moments later and Harry pushed Draco down onto the bed. Draco moved up so tat his head lay on the pillows while Harry followed his movement closely. Harry grabbed both of the blonde’s arms and pinned them above his head with one of his own. Harry’s other hand rubbed gently down Draco’s chest to work on unbuckling his pants while Harry’s mouth worked on Draco’s neck and collar bone.

Draco moaned and lifted his hips slightly when Harry encouraged him to. He panted slightly and watched as Harry undid his own pants. They lost contact as Harry removed his own pants and Draco took advantage of the brunette’s distraction. Draco pulled his hands free of Harry’s grip and rolled them over so that he was on top. He lay himself on top of the other man so that their bodies were touching from chest to toe and kissed the brunette some more.

As their tongues moved together, Draco thought about how he’d never really enjoyed kissing before. But kissing Harry was so different than kissing anyone else had been, and for the first time ever Draco didn’t want to stop.

Harry was really enjoying the feel of his lips against Draco’s. It had been a while since he’d kissed anyone and it had never felt this good. While he didn’t really want to stop, he didn’t really want to just kiss the blonde right then. He ran his hands down Draco's back and grabbed the other man’s ass. He pulled the other man’s body closer against his and ground their hips together.

~~~~

Narcissa shut the front door of the Manor loudly, trying to let the two men know she would soon be back. She took her time walking back to the library and on her way she heard footsteps pounding up the staircase. She smiled as she realized there were more then one set of footsteps moving. Sure enough, when she returned to the library it was empty.

Apparently, Harry and Draco had left for a bit more privacy. Narcissa was thrilled about this idea. She sincerely hoped that they enjoyed themselves. She smiled wider at the thought that Draco would no longer be lonely all the time.

~~~~

Harry broke off the kiss for a quick moment and muttered a lubrication spell. Draco was back to kissing him as soon as Harry had finished the incantation. Harry smiled into the kiss and pressed a finger against Draco’s entrance. Draco gasped as Harry moved his fingers and Harry took advantage, shifting the blonde’s position slightly to give him more access. Harry pushed two fingers into Draco simultaneously and Draco moaned loudly, pushing back into them. 

The brunette began moving his fingers and Draco rocked against them, closing his eyes in pleasure. Harry scissored his fingers slightly and watched the other man move. He couldn’t believe just how amazingly sexy Draco was like this. Harry reached his other hand up and worried Draco’s nipple.

“Now, Harry,” Draco moaned. Harry nodded and removed his fingers from the blonde. He was about to flip them back over when Draco reached down and grasped the brunette’s penis. He moved back and guided Harry’s cock to his entrance. Draco lowered himself slowly and Harry groaned with want.

Draco moved slowly at first while Harry watched him with half-lidded eyes. “Faster,” Harry panted and Draco smiled down at him, hands spread across the brunette’s chest. Draco moved faster and closed his eyes again, throwing his head back and moaning loudly. Harry watched Draco move up and down. Draco was starting to mumble incoherently and Harry strained to hear the words.

“So good...oh...so sexy...gods...please...” Draco mumbled before he stopped making sense. He was so amazed by how great this felt. He’d had sex with men before, but it was never this good. Draco looked down at Harry as the brunette’s hand moved to stroke his cock.

Green eyes met gray eyes as both their worlds exploded. Draco fell forward and kissed Harry again, not wanting to move, but knowing it was inevitable. Sure enough, before long Harry was moving so that they could lay cuddled up together. Harry whispered a cleaning charm as they settled together.

“Good night,” Draco whispered.

“Good night,” Harry whispered back.

~~~~

Narcissa awoke the next morning with a huge smile on her face. It appeared that Harry and Draco had spent an entire night together without fighting. This, from what she understood, was quite the accomplishment for the two of them. She got dressed and went down to the kitchen, expecting to eat alone. She settled herself at the table and prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. She blew across the top before taking a sip and looking out the window beside her.

Suddenly she heard two sets of footsteps headed her way.

~~~~

Harry and Draco awoke the next morning just as happy as the night before. Harry smiled at Draco, “Good morning.”

Draco smiled back, “Morning,” before kissing the brunette. He didn’t think he could ever get enough kisses from the other man. They lay in Draco’s bed, naked and kissing, for a long time. Finally, they separated slightly. “We should head down for breakfast,” Draco said softly.

Harry’s smile faltered but he nodded. The two men climbed out of bed. They shared another quick kiss before Harry dashed across the hall and into his room to get dressed.

~~~~

Draco looked around his room. The bed was a mess, though this made him smile, and there was clothing strewn about the floor. He smiled widely and thought about Harry. It was amazing how quickly things changed when the brunette was involved.

Draco moved across his room and to his closet. He pulled out some clothes and got dressed. A quick spell to fix his hair and he was ready to face his mother. He checked his reflection in his mirror before opening his door and coming face-to-face with his new lover.

~~~~

Harry dashed across the hall, still naked and hoping not to run into anyone (he had no idea where Draco’s mom’s room was). He shut his door quickly and leaned back against it. He smiled widely and thought about Draco. He couldn’t believe how quickly things had changed between them.

Harry walked over to the closet and grabbed some clothes. He dressed quickly and moved back across the room. There was a mirror next to the door and he checked his reflection. He ran his hands through his messy hair, but it did no good. He shrugged and pulled open his door, coming face-to-face with his new lover.

They smiled at each other. Harry held out a hand as he stepped into the hallway. Draco moved to stand next to him and laced their fingers together. They walked down to the kitchen in silence. They entered the kitchen and found Narcissa looking at them in surprise. She quickly took in the sight of them holding hands before she school her features back to calm indifference. “Good morning gentlemen.”

“Good morning Mother,” Draco answered, sitting next to her.

“Sleep well?” she smiled as Harry sat on her other side.

“Yes, thank you,” Harry said, blushing slightly.

Draco picked up the Daily Prophet and scanned the front page. Noting nothing of importance he opened the paper and began reading. “So, there is a double funeral today,” Harry stated. “Were you planning on attending it?” he asked Draco.

“Yes,” Draco said, looking over the paper at Harry. “I won’t be missing any of them.”

Harry nodded and took a bite out of his toast. “Me neither.”

There was a lull in conversation then and Narcissa looked from Draco, who continued to read the Prophet, to Harry, who was lost in thought. She wondered if they were thinking about each other. 

Harry looked around the room not really focusing on anything in particular. He was beginning to wonder about what exactly was going on between him and Draco. They didn’t do much talking the night before and they’d said all of ten words to each other so far that day. Were they together, as Hermione had wondered last night? Were they going to be public about it if they were?

Draco looked at the Daily Prophet without really seeing it. He was thinking about the situation he and Harry were in. He wondered if this was going to be the start of a real relationship of if it would just be a casual thing. And if it was going to be a relationship were they going to try to hide it from the reporters? 

Draco peeked over his paper just as Harry looked directly at him and their eyes met, both full of unasked questions. Narcissa watched them covertly and could tell that they had a lot to discuss. But she had a feeling that if she just left them to their own devises they would never get around to discussing things. She decided she needed to give them a push in the right direction. “So gentlemen, I believe Ms. Granger posed a question last night that still needs an answer,” Narcissa stated calmly.

Harry and Draco both turned to look at her in shock. “You don’t remember?” she asked, mock surprise in her voice. Before either man could form a response Narcissa stood up. “Well,” she said as she left the kitchen, “if you ask me, I think you are.”

Harry and Draco stared after her for a moment in disbelief. Harry spoke first, turning to look at the blonde, “Your mum is mental.”

Draco half glared at the brunette, “No, she just likes to meddle.” He paused. “Do you suppose she’s right?”

Harry looked at Draco, carefully trying to read the other man’s emotions before answering. “I suppose she is. Don’t you?”

Draco smiled slightly, “Yes. I believe she is.”

Harry smiled back, genuinely happy for the first time in many months. It was strange to him that someone who had made him so unhappy in the past could suddenly be the source of his happiness.

Draco felt real happiness and it felt wonderful. It had been so long since he’d experienced that particular emotion and he marveled at the fact that it was caused by the man that he’d once considered ‘the enemy’.

Harry’s smile faltered. “The funeral today,” he took a breath. “It’s very important to me.”

Draco nodded slightly, “Professor Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks?”

Harry nodded, “They helped me a lot in the few years I knew them. They even asked me to be god father to their son, Teddy.” Harry smiled sadly. 

“Nymphadora was my cousin,” Draco stated simply, looking down at the table, “but I never knew her. Her mom and my mom had stopped talking years before either of us were born.”

“Tonks was great. You would have really liked her, I think.” Harry looked at Draco. “I’m glad you’ll be there with me today.”

Draco looked into Harry’s eyes. “So we’re not worried about reporters, then?”

Harry wished once again he could read minds. “I’m not...are you?”

Draco smiled, “Of course not.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a long while, simply staring into each other’s eyes. Draco thought about how silly they were acting; staring at each other like love sick school girls. But it just felt right and Draco couldn’t stop himself.

“We really need to get ready to go,” Harry told the blonde a few minutes later. Draco nodded his agreement and they stood up simultaneously. They made their way out of the kitchen and across the house. Just before they turned the corner that led to The Room, Harry reached out and laced his fingers with Draco’s.

They turned the corner and there it was. While Draco had gotten very good at pretending there was nothing there, Harry had not had enough time to adjust. He stood frozen in front of the boarded up room, holding tight to Draco’s hand. “What do you see? When you look at that room?” Draco whispered.

Harry was silent for a long time and Draco began to regret asking. The blonde was just about to try to distract the other man when he finally spoke. “I see Bellatrix standing over Hermione, who’s being tortured. I see Dobby giving his life to save ours.” Harry took a deep breath. “And I see you. Scared-looking and lying to give me the chance to survive.”

Draco swallowed hard, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He didn’t have to speak, because Harry continued. “I never got the chance to thank you for that.” He turned to look at the blonde. Draco slowly turned to look into green eyes. “Thank you,” Harry whispered before leaning in and kissing Draco.

~~~~

Harry and Draco apparated together to the site of that day’s double funeral. The apparition point was only a short distance from the tent that was set up around the graves to protect the mourners from the rain that was steadily falling. The two men headed towards the tent, remaining close together but not touching. Harry saw Ron, Hermione, and all of their other friends standing under the tent and walked towards them. As they approached the tent Draco looked over at his new boyfriend, a thought that made him smile on the inside, and saw that the brunette’s face was etched with sorrow.

“Harry!” Hermione greeted, pulling him into a hug. There was a chorus of greeting and a round of hugs for the brunette. 

It was almost as if Draco wasn’t even there. He stood outside the circle of friends and stared at the ground. Suddenly an arm snaked around his waist and Draco looked up into Harry’s face.

“Hello Draco,” Hermione smiled slightly.

“Hi Hermione,” Draco smiled back.

This small exchange alerted the others in the group to his presence and Draco was greeted much more coldly than Harry had been. Harry frowned at his friends and instead of admonishing them verbally he decided to make his point a tiny bit more subtly. He turned toward the blonde, put his other arm around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Harry lost himself in the kiss as his friends stared in shock and Draco’s hands found their way into his hair. Hermione grinned, getting the answer to fer question from the night before. The group of friends started mumbling amongst themselves and Hermione spoke up for the blonde and brunette. “Yes, Harry and Draco are dating. Now, if you have a problem with it you can just leave.”

Harry smiled against Draco’s lips, but didn’t pull away. He loved the feel of Draco’s body against his and wondered how he’d made it nearly 18 years without experiencing it. A flash from a camera distracted the brunette and he finally pulled back from the kiss, but not far enough to loose all contact with his lover.

Everyone looked in the direction of the flash and saw a reporter scribbling frantically on a scroll of parchment. Neville moved toward the reporter, fists clenched and looking threatening. Harry grabbed his arm to stop him, “Don’t worry about it. It’ll get out sooner or later.”

Neville nodded and relaxed before turning to Harry, “So when did this happen?”

“Yesterday. And we can all talk about it later. Right now is all about Lupin and Tonks.”

Harry’s friends nodded solemnly and turned toward the two graves at the front of the tent. Harry stepped away from Draco and let his arms fall to his sides. He moved towards the front of the tent and Draco followed him closely, reaching out and taking his hand in his own. The two men stood in front of the two graves in silence for a long time. 

Harry closed his eyes and tried to remember the last time he’d been able to spend anytime with the two of them. It had been a long time ago and they had all been so worried about the war that they hadn’t been able to really enjoy themselves. Harry opened his eyes and whispered to his dead friends, “I wish you guys could see how well things are turning out. Teddy’s getting so big and he looks so much like both of you. He’s really going to miss you two growing up, but I’ll always be there, telling him how great you were.”

Draco looked from the grave stones in front of him to the man standing next to him and saw a single tear making it’s way down the brunette’s cheek. He squeezed Harry’s hand but didn’t say anything. He waited quietly while Harry paid his respect to his friends. After Harry had been silent for several long moments Draco found his voice and looked back at the graves, “I’m sorry I never got to know you Nymphadora. And I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you in class, Professor.”

They stood in silence for a few moments longer and then Harry led Draco away. They walked a short way to the left and Harry gave an older woman holding a baby a hug. “Andromeda, how are you doing?”

“I’ve been better. How about you?” the woman answered as Harry took the baby.

“I’m OK.” Harry smiled down at the child in his arms, “Hello Teddy.” The baby smiled up at him and gurgled slightly. Harry looked over at the blonde next to him. “Draco, this is Teddy and his grandmother.”

Draco held his hand out to the woman, “Aunt Andromeda. Nice to finally meet you.”

She pushed his arm aside and pulled him into a hug. “You don’t know how much I wanted to be there while you grew up. Your mother and I had been so close when we were younger, it’s really unfortunate that when she married your father things changed.”

Draco pulled back from the hug. “Mother always talked fondly of you when Father wasn’t there. I wished I could know you myself.” They smiled at each other. “Now things can be different.”

Andromeda’s smile widened as she saw Teddy reach out and pull on Draco’s robes, laughing. “Yes they can.”

Draco patted the baby on the head before Harry handed him back to his grandmother. “I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow,” Harry said, giving the woman another hug. “Maybe I’ll bring Draco?”

“I’d love that,” Andromeda smiled even more.

Draco nodded, still smiling as well, “Me too.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile at this family rediscovered and took Draco’s hand in his as they walked away. “I have dinner every Saturday with them,” Harry told the blonde. “I promised that I’d be there for Teddy always and I’m not going to forget it.”

Draco said nothing, mostly because right then an official looking wizard was calling for silence. Everyone began to sit down and soon Draco was seated between Harry and Hermione in the front row.

~~~~

The gathering of friends at the Leaky Cauldron was much quieter than usual. They had all agreed to go straight to the pub after the funeral, but no one had said much more than that. Tom, the barman, brought over a tray laden with fire whiskey and handed them out to the group of people. There were mutterings of thanks and then Tom left them alone. Harry stood up and addressed the group. “To Remus Lupin,” he said, raising his glass.

“Remus Lupin,” they all echoed before everyone took a large gulp of fire whiskey.

“To Nymphadora Tonks,” Harry raised his glass again.

“Tonks,” everyone said and they all took another drink.

Harry sat down and looked around at his friends. Everyone there was looking down at the table and many people had tears in their eyes. Ron had his arm around Hermione’s waist. Ginny was leaning against Michael. Seamus was holding Dean’s hand on the table. Angelina had her head on George’s shoulder. Harry sighed and scooted his chair closer to Draco. The blonde looked over at him, confused. Harry gave him a small smile and placed his hand on the other man’s thigh. “Come on guys, Tonks would be mad if she saw us like this,” the brunette said.

Hermione looked up at him, tears glistening on her cheeks. “And Lupin always wanted us to enjoy out time together.” She smiled at her friends and brushed the tears from her face as those around her nodded their agreement.

Harry leaned some of his weight against his boyfriend as the conversation picked up around him. He watched his friends start to cheer up slightly and then turned to Draco. They smiled at each other before sharing an intimate kiss. As he kissed the blonde, Harry knew that one day he would be able to say “All is well.”


End file.
